Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1887-08-12


organization and as the reports sent to the city
dailies of the State encampmeht nave e'ther
ignored the Howard Rifles entirely or have done
them so little Justice We thought few W ,sds
from MS on the conduct of our boys In camp ana
the enviable reputation they made while tLere
might be interesting to our readers. As we ,eft
baltimore at II O'Clock at night the ride TO
Haxerstown WAS uneventful and would. perhaps.
have been u dull and sleepy one save ior the
boisterous good humor and fun loving antics Of
Corporal Jenkins and privates Martin anu j. u.
Robertson who made sleep in the ca,s a simple
impossibiity. We arrived at the camp grounds
\ about $50 A. NJ. and were ut once conducted 10
our tents, which. by the careful foresight ana
thoughtfnlne>s of Capt. l.. A. Wilmer, had been
nonred. and the boys We're relieved ftom the
painful necessity Of bivoucing on tue lamp
ground which was the case Of many OF the COM
m;,r,eis kn.aisascks were ut once uh:Iuhg, bank
cts unr,lleti and the boys spread themselves out
to get, II possible, few hours Of needed repose.
With the exception the Hagerstown companies
| our command was the first ON the grounds. but
hand had the boys commenced to dream OF
wives homes and sweetheartS when the steady
tramp, trampof the other troops arriving. Keep
ing time with the iap-tapOf the drums drove
all idea of sleep from their minds and eyes ana
they were forced to turn out to pass as best they
might the early hours OF the cool morning. ny
| 10 o'clock all the troops had arrived anu ue
srene in camp was n spirited and busy one rs the
BOYS hurried here and there arranging their tents
and surroundings to make them as comfortable
| rs possible for their weeks stay. AS mas oeeu
previously stated, owing to the non-arriVai Oh
Capt. Chesley, Of Leonardtown. the command oil
the 4th battalion devolved upon our capf:in,and
an order To that effect WAS issued from headqar-
tn ~ IN
his command, the three companies Of lower
Maryland were, at his request, consolidated Win
the INST regiment under the command OF COL d.
lE I'd lnuxlas. Aud Just here would state
that the second post Of honor. that Of occupying
the left of the line, was given to the Howard
Rides, and right royalty did they prove them
selves worthy Of the honor thus bestowed Be-
sides having numerically the largest company
lin camp our boys were the most stalwart and
muscular set OF soldiers turned out from any por-
ton of the State, and whenever they appeared
or parade or on drill. were the cynosure OF ali
ewes and eradicated from the minds OF all who
saw them the idea that seems to prevail that
Charles county is an unhealthy locality This
collection of bone and muscle relieved our boys
from much Of the vissitudes Of camp LIE, for
whenever q blanket-tossing brigade were out,
and they made frequent ruuads, they studiousiy
avoided invading the street occupied by our CON-
mand from q wholesome fear that the tables
might be turned aud instead OF being tossed our
bows might he the tossers. One Of the chief
drawbacks to life In camp WAS the commissary
department. We were forced to eat In the kitchen
out of tin plates and cups with iron knives and
forks and pewter spoons all Of which we believe
were strangers to water during the week they
were In use. The meats were served In tin buck
cts and we were helped from the hand Of greasy
negro whose close proximity to the stove caused
the perspiration to ouze freely from his body and
to emit an oder just the reverse Of flower gar
dep This was too much for the delicate stomaehs
of tepderly raised Charles county boys and they
soon ignored the commissary and took their
meals at other places. In sleeping the boys were
in close quarters. The tents were twelve by
fourteen feet and each tent was occupied by six
men, When the mattresses were spread the
entire aoor was covered and all that WAS neces-
ssry was to roll in your blanket and tumble
down. This feature the boys took with good
humor and although all lights had 10 be exiting
lshed by lo15 O'Clock there WAS no sleep for some
hours after.
The daily routine Of camp life was a. follows:
At 4:t5 O'Clock all had u turn out TO roll cali: at
q the breakfast call was sounded; at there was
battalion drili: at was company drill: al came
|dinner. at 4 another battalion drill, AID at .
dress parade and the final roll at 10. Between
these hours the boys, with the exception Of the
captain and orderly sergeant. who are the hard
est worked men In camp. could occupy their
time as best they might, and on the whole IL was
n lazy life and month Of It would unni . man
sor apv busy occupatioa foe SIX months there
after.
Az to the conduct of our boys In camp nothing
bot praise can be said. They couducted them
selves IKE gentlemen and soldien and received
= mete Of praise and admiration bestowed on no
other command. In military evolutions they
were equal to the best and had no supertors and
won for themselves high encomiums from Brig
adier-Generai Brown and his staff. from their
colonel, H. Kyd Douglas, and from every CON-
mand In the camp and as the boys were march,
ing away on their homeward journey Monday
morning all the companies left in camp turned
ont en- uaasse and cheered them voceferousiy all
along the line OF march. and they have left be-
hind them. after their nrxt experience in camp
life an enviable reputation for soldieriy bearing
and isut manly behavior that Will long endure
totheir credit and TO the credit Of the county
they represented. Col Douglas made . neat lit
tie speech 10 the boys on sunday evening In
which be expressed the high esteem he felt for
| Capt. wilmer and his command and compliment
ed the boys on their military proficiency.
One ol the pleasant features Of the camp was
the social visits we received from Charles count
iaus. Mr. and Mrs. 8. Cox, Jr. were with Us for
some days, Mr.. r. H. Muschette his daughter.
Miss Maud, and daughter-in-law, Mrs w. N.
Muschette, were also out 70 welcome Us. and the
cheerful waving Of handkerchiefs from the fair
hands a. the boys passed them on parade caused
us to brace up with thrill Of qualification nj
their appreciation and TO march with nrmer
tread and prouder steps than ever. Mess. Geo.
Carrico, J. B. Mattingly and T. H. Medley also
spent some days with us, and an excursion train
lfrom Bsltimore on sunday brought up . large
crowd of old Charles countains and was another
manifestation Of the interest all feel In our
Organization.
| OF Capt. Wilmer and his officers. Lieuts. Gray
and Boswell, too much could not be said. and
bat for the fact thai this article u alrsady too
prolonged we would like 10 do them fall and
ample jnsstee for4heif kindae8 and considera-
ton TO the men. Capt. Wilmer left nothing un-
done that would tend " their comfort and pleas
ure and did much toward enhancing the spirit
LOT friendleness and good feeling that existed be-
tween our men and the other commands In camp
And more than this he was conceded to be the
best captain in the militiaGf the State Of Mary
land and the equal 10 any and the superior TO
many Of his commanding officers.
Altogether the camp was q success. alike to
| the Howard Rifles and the rest Of the State
militia, and our boys will be ready to attend an
other whenever ordered. To show some Of the
appreciation In which we we're held we publish
/ the following letter received by our CAPITA n
yesterday:
! Qeadqua rtefs First Re egiment Infantry
MARYLAND NATIONAL GUARD.
HAGERsTowN. Aug. Q, 1887
lCAFTAfN WILMER:
| send you o copy Of the order that was read
to the companies Of this regiment yesterday. In
addition 10 this wish to express my qualification
that at your request your excellent company as
made part of my command during the encamp-
nlrnt Conspicuous IL was by reason of It's
ixe-being the largest company in the whole
lBrigade-it was not less conspicuous for its dis
tcipiine. drill, appearance and general efficiency
in every duty and the admirable manner In
which It was oficered The Howard Rifles made